Blade (Knífur/Seax):
- For cutting cords, harvesting herbs, carving
- Not for kitchen use (dedicated to magic)
- Keep sharp and ritually clean
- Traditional: Seax (single-edged knife)
Rune Set (Rúnasett):
- For divination
- Can be carved, painted, or store-bought
- Keep in special bag (often red or white)
- Don't let others handle without permission
Distaff (Rokkstokkur):
- Traditional women's tool (spinning)
- Represents fate-weaving
- Völvas carried distaffs
- Modern: Symbolic even if you don't spin
Sacred Space Creation (Vé-Gerð):
Simple Method (Daily Practice):
1. Light candle — "I kindle this flame in honor of the gods and spirits"
2. Offer incense — juniper, pine, or mugwort
3. Speak your intention — why you're here
4. Do your work — prayer, meditation, magic
5. Give thanks — to gods, spirits, ancestors who aided
6. Pour offering — even just water to the earth
7. Extinguish candle — or let burn safely
Formal Method (Hammer Rite):
1. Face north, raise right hand or hold hammer symbol
2. Call to Thor — "Thor, hallow this space"
3. Trace hammer in the air over head (or use actual hammer/Mjölnir)
4. Turn to each direction, trace hammer at each quarter:
- North — Niflheim, mystery, ice
- East — Ásgarðr, gods, light
- South — Muspelheim, fire, passion
- West — Vanaheimr, sea, Vanir gods
5. Above — sky, Ásgarðr
6. Below — earth, roots, ancestors
7. Center — Miðgarðr, your heart, here and now
8. Declare — "This space is hallowed. No ill may enter here."
Advanced Method (Full Blót Setup):
Reserved for major rituals, season celebrations, oaths.
(This would require its own extensive section)
Maintaining the Sacred:
Daily (if possible):
- Light a candle, even briefly
- Refresh water
- Speak to your spirits
Weekly:
- Clean altar thoroughly
- Burn cleansing incense
- Give offering
Monthly:
- Deep clean
- Rearrange if called to
- Honor full moon with special offering
Seasonally:
- Major cleaning and renewal
- Update altar for season
- Replace altar cloth if needed
Disposal of Altar Items:
- Never trash sacred objects
- Bury, burn (if safe), or return to nature
- Thank the object before disposing
- Or place in river/sea if appropriate
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XII. Seiðr og Galdr — Two Paths of Power
The Twin Arts
Northern magic bifurcates into two primary streams, each with its own flavor, methods, and social implications.
Seiðr (SAY-thur) — Trance Magic, Shamanic Practice:
- Nature: Ecstatic, trance-based, shapeshifting, soul-journeying
- Associated with: Freyja (taught to Odin), völvas, women's mysteries
- Methods: Drumming, chanting, útiseta (sitting out), spirit journeys
- Social view: Powerful but ergi (considered unmanly for men in Viking Age)
- Modern: Trance work, shamanic journeying, spirit communication
- Energy: Fluid, transformative, receptive, internal
Galdr (GALL-der) — Incantation, Rune Magic:
- Nature: Spoken, chanted, carved, direct will
- Associated with: Odin (master of runes), skalds, male practitioners
- Methods: Chanting runes, carving staves, speaking spells, breath work
- Social view: Acceptable, masculine, poetic, powerful
- Modern: Rune work, chanting, verbal spells, written magic
- Energy: Directed, active, projective, external
Modern Practice Honors Both:
Today's practitioners need not choose one path exclusively. Many combine:
- Galdr for directed spellwork (candles, carved runes, spoken intention)
- Seiðr for divination, spirit communication, and deeper trance states
- Both as complementary — the active and receptive, projective and transformative
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XIII. Fórnir og Gjafir — Offerings and Exchange
The Law of Reciprocity
"A gift demands a gift." — Hávamál
In Northern cosmology, nothing is free. All magic, all divine aid, all spirit help operates on gebo (gift-exchange). To receive, you must give.
Types of Offerings (Blót):
To the Gods (Goðablót):
Odin (Óðinn — All-Father, god of magic, wisdom, war):
- Mead (especially poetry mead)
- Wine (red, symbolizing blood)
- Poetry, well-crafted words
- Whiskey or strong spirits
- Ravens imagery
- Knowledge gained and shared
- Hanging a written offering on a tree (mimicking his sacrifice)
Thor (Þórr — Thunderer, protector, friend of humankind):
- Ale or beer (he's a drinking god)
- Bread and hearty food
- Oak leaves or acorns
- Hammer symbols
- Goat imagery
- Acts of protection for others
- Standing up for the weak
Freyja (Freyja — Lady of the Vanir, love, fertility, magic, war):
- Mead or honey
- Flowers (especially roses)
- Amber
- Gold or beautiful jewelry
- Chocolate or sweets
- Poetry of love or beauty
- Cat imagery
- Acts of self-love or defending boundaries
Frey (Freyr — Lord of the harvest, fertility, prosperity):
- Grain, bread, ale
- Coins (prosperity)
- Apples or harvest fruits
- Boar imagery
- Acts of generosity
- Seeds planted
- Blessing fields or gardens
Frigg (Frigg — All-Mother, household, marriage, motherhood):
- Flax or wool
- Household goods
- White or blue cloth
- Keys
- Milk or cream
- Acts of household blessing
- Tending family bonds
Hel (Hel — Goddess of death, underworld):
- Dark offerings (black coffee, dark chocolate)
- Coins for the dead
- White flowers
- Silence and respect
- Remembering the dead
- Speaking names of ancestors
- Tending graves
Loki (Loki — Trickster, change-bringer, complex figure):
- Spicy food, strong liquor
- Candy (he likes sweet things)
- Wine (red)
- Candles (he's a fire giant)
- Laughter, jokes, chaos
- Acknowledging life's absurdity
- Note: Controversial in modern practice; some honor, others don't
To the Land Spirits (Landvættir):
- Milk or cream poured on earth
- Bread crumbs scattered
- Shiny objects (coins, crystals)
- Birdseed
- Garden tending
- Cleaning litter from land
- Respectful treatment of nature
To the Ancestors (Ættir/Forfeður):
- Food they loved in life
- Coffee, tea, alcohol they preferred
- Family recipes prepared with love
- Photographs displayed
- Speaking their names
- Telling their stories
- Continuing family traditions
- Tending graves
To House Spirits (Tomte/Nisse):
- Porridge (traditional: rice porridge with butter)
- Milk
- Honey
- Small cakes
- Keeping home clean
- Leaving small gifts
- Respecting their space
- Not bragging about them (they dislike this)